Home > News Story and Obituary ArchiveNews: DC and Archie to Advertise Togetherposted June 3, 2004

June 3 -- DC Comics and Archie Comics Entertainment have joined together to present a united children's comics front to print advertisers. The move prompted speculation of an eventual acquisition of Archie Comics by DC Comics owner Time Warner, a logical outcome since denied by officials at both companies. In the most convoluted language possible, DC announced a move to recalibrate its advertising efforts to better reflect the new arrangement. Newco Media, the Chicago based company that previously handled Archie's ad sales in the Midwest and Western United States, will now handle the Midwest sales for the combined package. "The Berman Group" -- actually DC West Coast sales rep Howard Berman's one-man operation -- will handle the entire left coast of the United States. Both entities report to David McKillips, DC Comics' Vice President of Advertising and Custom Publishing.

According to the news site ICV2.com, a full -age ad across all of the titles to be included in the package will sell for $36,478. This is believed to be a highly competitive price point for the number of exposures offered by the DC/Archie group. The new agreement begins in January 2005, and will also include the availability of Archie's characters for DC's custom publishing program, whereby an entire comic is created featuring comics characters and the product or service some company wishes to advertise.

It was a busy month for Archie, both within comics and without. The company announced its intention to collect 96 pages of Bob Bolling's well-regarded work in Little Archie Comics in a trade volume this September, and released plans to reprint issues #1-4 of the 1959 Joe Simon/Jack Kirby effort The Fly beginning late in the summer. As if to show the company is not totally without value when it comes to the big name licensing deal buzz, in May actress/dancer Carmen Electra hosted a launch party at a Los Angeles boutique for a "Betty & Veronica" clothing line. Despite t-shirts retailing at $28 and a cashmere hoodie going for $395, there is no truth to the rumor that the show consisted entirely of a model playing Veronica teasing a model playing Betty for not being able to afford any of the clothes.

The clothes are to be made available to department stores starting in Fall 2004.